You are here

Voice changes?

dubby88

Posts: 15
Joined: Mar 2010

Apr 22, 2010 - 12:28 pm

I had my thyroid removed on the 12 of Feb 2010 for Pap cancer. I dont know if I have to have RAI yet my doctor is going to do a scan in six months. I have one problem but I dont know if it is connected or not.
As the day goes on my voice cracks like I have a bad cold but I dont. It comes and goes I can be have a conversation with someone and all of a sudden my voice changes. It sounds like a 12 year old boy going thru his voice changing. Its getting worse and happening more often.

You are definitely not alone. Many people have problems with their voice after surgey. The reason is that the thyroid gland is very close to the vocal cords and sometimes they are traumatized. This could happen for a few months, as the cords are sensitive. If it goes pass that time, talk to your doctor about speech therapy to get your cords working again. I waited much too long and had severe problems after that.

Singing is out of the question! I never had a great voice, but I could keep a tune, now................it has been almost 5 months. Hopefully with time it will get better, my voice is definately stronger now than it was.

It will be two years this August when I had my surgery for papillary thyroid cancer.
Like someone else said in a post, I could never sing really good but I could hold a tune somewhat.
Now, it is awful and some days are even worse than that. In church I don't sing as loud because sometimes it will crack really bad.

Another thing that I still deal with is a sore throat. I had my tonsils out years ago so I know it is not that.

Sometimes I can go for a whole month w/out a sore throat, but other times I can have it for only a few hours and other times it will be a day on and a day off. One time I had it for a month. That is the most aggrivating, especially since I felt great after having my tonsils out and now I deal with it more often than not.
Anyone else w/that problem several months after surgery?

My TT year anniverary is this June and I still have voice issues from time to time. It's not all the time, but when it happens, I sound like a man for about a week. It's not painful, but it's frustrating! I have to watch talking loudly when I go somewhere with my friends and its hard to hear each other, bc the next day I won't have a voice. Prior to my surgeries, I never had that problem. Now I lose my voice after practically coughing too much!

I am glad to find out that I am not alone when it comes to voice changes either. I had a TT on April 12 and my ENT said that he did not cut my vocal chord nerves so my voice should be o.k. within a few days. He now admits that it could take months for my voice to get somewhat normal again because of the stress that was put on my vocal chords during my TT. My voice is very hoarse and I can't seem to talk very loud. I am sad about it because my biggest passion in life is singing. I am not a real good singer but not a bad one either. I am worried that my singing voice will never be the same again. I need to focus on being grateful for life and not worry but it is kind of hard. By the way I had a TT due to papillary cancer. I am not sure what the next step will be. Buffalo13

It is important to make sure you keep telling your doctor that your voice is not getting better. I stopped complaining about it and after three years, I had to have another major surgery getting implants next to my vocal cords. I can now talk with no problems, but my doctor said that I did not help my voice by straining it for so long. It could be as easy as going to speech therapy for a couple of months, but don't let it slide. Keep telling the doctor.

It is important to make sure you keep telling your doctor that your voice is not getting better. I stopped complaining about it and after three years, I had to have another major surgery getting implants next to my vocal cords. I can now talk with no problems, but my doctor said that I did not help my voice by straining it for so long. It could be as easy as going to speech therapy for a couple of months, but don't let it slide. Keep telling the doctor.

I had my thyroid removed 3 years ago and my voice sounds like Janis Joplinn a bad day. It got worse during years 2 & 3. My kids laugh to cheer me up. They keep me going so we all laugh togetherjoking about it. I haven't been the same since that surgery.

Looks like there's alot of us in the same boat. I had TT (pap cancer) in Feb. 2010 also. Some days my voice is o.k. and, on others, it sounds dry. I love to sing praise songs at church and around the house, but can't sing like I used to. I don't hold a tune very well, but enjoy the lift it brings me when I do. So, I sing when my voice allows it and keep it low (especially in church) when it tends to crack. I have almost accepted my voice as it is since that is minor compared to cancer. Someone else mentioned speech therapy and I may just look into that. Sounds like that would be something for you to look into now.

I have a friend who is a speech therapist and so is her husband. I will see what I can find out.

Definitely not alone.....
I had my TT on 2/7/11.... There are good days but seems that there are more bad days.
I am in customer service and talk on the phone at least 3-4 hours a day prior to my lunch break. By then, a lot of times I have a very weak voice and I also get a "frog" like knot in my throat.
I have lost my patience and am seeing my Surgeon tomorrow (5/5)... maybe he'll have some answers...

The content on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. Use of this online service is subject to the disclaimer and the terms and conditions.